It is known to incorporate antimicrobials into consumer products in order to inhibit the growth of, for example, bacteria and/or fungi and/or viruses. For absorbent fabrics such as clothing, curtains/blinds and bedding, antimicrobials can be incorporated by applying a liquid containing the antimicrobial to the fabric, and then allowing the fabric to dry.
A disadvantage of applying antimicrobials in this way is that once the fabric has dried it can have a different feel on the user's skin compared to how the fabric felt to the user before treatment. This is generally considered by users of such fabrics to be unpleasant and undesirable. Thus, this invention seeks to provide a liquid antimicrobial which, when applied to an absorbent fabric which is then dried, more closely retains the original feel of the fabric.
An additional problem with applying antimicrobials to absorbent fabrics as described above is that the antimicrobial will be washed out of the fabric as it is repeatedly laundered. This invention therefore also seeks to provide a liquid antimicrobial that has an increased retention time in absorbent fabrics after repeated laundry cycles.